CMA CGM and its OCEAN Alliance partners COSCO Shipping, Evergreen and OOCL unveiled the DAY 10 Product in Marseille, deploying 41 services and 5.3 million TEU, reported Greater Amsterdam’s Breakbulk News.
The product is backed by 394 vessels, including 130 operated by CMA CGM.
The network spans Asia, Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East and both coasts of North America, aiming to provide reliability amid volatile demand.
Seven services with 102 vessels will connect Asia to Northern Europe, offering broad port coverage.
Four services link Asia with the Mediterranean, while 22 connect Asia with North America, split between eight to the US East Coast and 14 to the US and Canadian West Coast.
Three services will connect Asia with Persian Gulf ports, reflecting energy and infrastructure demand.
Direct Red Sea services remain suspended due to security risks, though CMA CGM maintains access through its standalone REX2 service.
The partners confirmed their cooperation until 2032, giving shippers and ports long term visibility.
Since its 2017 launch, OCEAN Alliance has become the largest operational shipping network, balancing scale with flexibility.
CMA CGM also advanced its decarbonisation roadmap, pledging net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and confirming plans for 200 low carbon capable ships by 2031.
Some are already active within the alliance network.
The DAY 10 Product signals a defensive strategy, with the alliance betting that scale, alignment and operational depth remain the strongest response to global trade uncertainty.
Container spot rates slump on overcapacity
Global container freight rates fell sharply as excess capacity and weak demand weighed on the market, reported UK’s Sea trade Maritime News.
Drewry Shipping Consultant said average box freight rates dropped 10 percent week-on- week.
Analyst Simon Heaney forecast global growth at 1.8 percent this year, noting 2025 saw record contracting of 4.8 million TEU, pushing the orderbook to more than 11 million TEU, about one third of the active fleet.
Deliveries of containerships averaged 180,000 TEU per month last year, while demolitions totalled just 6,000 TEU.
Drewry’s World Container Index showed spot rates from Asia to the US West Coast down 12 percent to $2,546 per FEU, and to the East Coast Consultant down 11 percent to US$3,191 per FEU.
Rates to North Europe fell nine percent to $2,510 per FEU, and to the Mediterranean eight percent to $3,520 per FEU.
Analysts said the Lunar New, Year holiday beginning February 17 will further affect volumes.
Dynamar’s Darron Wadey noted seasonal downturns have been common since 2022, often lasting months before recovery.
The Shanghai Containerised Freight Index fell 7.4 percent last week to 1457.86 points.
Wadey said capacity overhang remains a major issue, with Cape of Good Hope diversions absorbed and new deliveries adding excess tonnage.
He warned that even with cancelled sailings, overcapacity will deepen the downturn.
Dynamar described the market as atypical, with volatility the norm and implications for supply chain stability.
Xeneta’s index showed smaller percentage declines but similar rate levels.
Month-on-month capacity rose 9.7 to 12.3 percent on Asia-US and Asia-Mediterranean trades, while Asia-North Europe capacity fell 1.9 percent, likely due to port congestion.
Transatlantic capacity dropped 6.4 percent.
Suez revenue up 18.5pc as ships return
Suez Canal revenue rose 18.5 percent in the first half of FY 2025/ 26, with chairman Osama Rabie declaring conditions ready for the full return of global shipping lines, reported Daily News Egypt.
Mr Rabie told representatives of 20 shipping lines that the Peace Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh restored security and stability, reassuring the maritime community over navigation in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Canal statistics showed a 5.8 percent rise in vessel transits and a 16 percent increase in net tonnage compared with the same period a year earlier.
Mr Rabie said indicators point to continued recovery as lines resume operations.
He described the canal as the most sustainable East-West trade route and highlighted expansion of the southern sector and new maritime services.
Industry leaders signalled confidence.
Hani el-Nadi of Maersk confirmed the return of one service as a preliminary step, while CMA CGM’s Amr el-Shafei praised early incentives.
Marwan el-Sammak predicted 2026 would be the “year of return.
The SCA has maintained a 15 percent discount for containerships of 130,000 tonnes or more and is studying further incentives.
Proposals included an international conference to reassure clients and efforts to reduce insurance costs.
LNG operators reported increased inquiries, with Wilhelmsen anticipating growth in 2026
Mohamed Abdel Qader of the Suez Chamber of Navigation said Maersk’s return was a strong reassurance, while Cosco’s Hany elSalamouny noted there is no viable alternative to the canal given the costs of the Cape of Good Hope route.
Deputy chairman Admiral Ashraf Atwa stressed the urgent need for shipping lines to return to safeguard global supply chains.
Mr Rabie pledged to study all proposals, including new incentives and training initiatives.
Pak-Italy trade witnesses over 23% surplus in six months
Pakistan’s goods and services trade with Italy witnessed a surplus of 23.54 percent during the first six months of the fiscal year (2025-26) as compared to the corresponding months of last year.
Trade surplus during the months under review was recorded at $352.814 million against $285.585 million last year, showing 23.54 percent growth.
The overall exports to Italy were recorded at US $612.888 million during July-December (2025-26) year against exports of US $570.082 million during the same months last year, showing an increase of 7.50 percent, SBP data revealed.
Meanwhile, on a year-on-year basis, exports to Italy during December 2025 increased by 12.36 percent from US $ 88.621 million to US $99.576 million.
Month-on-month exports to Italy also rose by 21.02 percent during November 2025 as compared with exports of US $ 82.274 million in November 2025, the SBP data said.
Overall Pakistan’s exports to all countries witnessed a decrease of 4.97 percent in six months, from US $16.319 billion to US $15.507 billion, the SBP data said.
On the other hand, imports from Italy during the months under review were recorded at US $260.074 million against US $284.497 million of last year, showing a decrease of 8.58 percent in July-December (2025-26).
Meanwhile, year-on-year imports from Italy during December 2025 increased by 145.97 percent from US $32.387 million last year to US $79.664 million.
On a month-on-month basis, the imports from Italy also increased by 163.44 percent during December 2025 as compared to the import of US $30.239 million in November 2025, SBP data said.
The overall imports increased by 12.26 percent, from US $27.902 billion to US $31.325 million during the period under review.
Pakistan, Uzbekistan eye $2bn trade in two years
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Uzbekistan resolved on Monday to expand the scope of their Preferential Trade Agreement to increase their trade beyond $2 billion in two years from around $450 million last year and to deepen cooperation in various economic fields.
At a meeting of the Pak-Uzbek Intergovernmental Commission (IGC), the two sides agreed to more than double the list of items for bilateral trade from 17 at present.
The two sides had signed the agreement in March 2022 and it came into effect in 2023.
The 10th IGC on Trade, Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation was cochaired by Haroon Akhtar Khan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Industries and Production, and Uzbe-kistan’s Trade Minister Laziz Kudratov, the engagement enabled a Comprehensive review of bilateral relations established a forward-looking roadmap to strengthen joint efforts in major economic and social sectors”, a joint statement said.
The parties welcomed the progress on Phase II concessions of the Preferential Trade Agreement the statement added.
The two sides “agreed to expedite institutional mechanisms to achieve the agreed target of $2bn in bilateral trade”.
Both sides expressed satisfaction over the steady progress achieved since the previous IGC session last year and reaffirmed their resolve to expand bilateral trade, investment, and economic engagement.
Emphasis was placed on trade facilitation, improved logistics, customs digitalisation, transit trade cooperation, development of regional trade corridors, and enhanced business-to-business engagement supported by improved visa facilitation for business communities.
The two sides also agreed to establish a joint working group on labour relations, tasked with addressing labour mobility, skills development, workplace safety, and practical considerations linked to employment visas.
Transport and communications.
In transport and communications sector, the commission welcomed interest in launching direct air services, reviewed progress on regional railway and connectivity projects, and agreed to advance alternative transport corridors to improve regional trade and transit connectivity.
Cooperation in agriculture and food security featured prominently, with both sides welcoming progress on phytosanitary protocols facilitating the export of fruits from Uzbekistan to Pakistan.
The parties agreed to expand collaboration through additional protocols, joint working groups, and technical cooperation in plant protection, livestock development, and agricultural research, with a shared focus on food security and sustainable agricultural growth.
In higher education, science, and technology, the commission welcomed progress on academic and research partnerships between leading institutions of the two countries.
Both sides agreed to promote joint research, faculty and student exchanges, vocational and technical training, innovation, and capacity building, supported by newly signed agreements in scientific, technical, and innovation fields to strengthen long-term knowledge cooperation and human capital development.
Environmental and climate cooperation was recognised as a shared priority, with both sides agreeing to collaborate on climate resilience, protection of glacial ecosystems, sustainable water management, environmental governance, gender-inclusive climate action, and community-based adaptation approaches.